Joseph bishop



(No Mdel.) J. BISHOP.

STEAM TRAP.

No. 376.850. I Patented Jan. 24; 1888.

UNITED STATES .IOsnPH BISHOP, or MERIDN, CONNECTICUT." i y STEAM-TRAP.

.sPHcIPIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. amai-ideama January 24.1888.

Applicationled October 31, 1867. Serial No. 253.811. (No model.) i v Y To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, JOSEPH BISHOP, of

Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new lm-Y provement in Steam-Traps; and I do herebyy declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings andthe letters of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in'- Figure 1, a sectional side ,viewof a steamtrap embodying this invention; Fig. v2, a sectional side view of thediaphragm detached; Figs. 3 and v4., modifications in the construction of the diaphragm. y p Y This invention relates to van improvement in the device commonly called steam-trapthat Is to say, a device which is plaoedin connection with steam-pipes, by which water of condensation in the pipes `may escape therefrom to avoidaccuxnulation of water in the pipes-this trap being particularly adapted to the steam-heating pipes of railway-trains, the invention relating particularly to the'construction of a diaphragm by which the valvel of the trap is operated, the construction of the diaphragm being applicable to expans'ibledia-l l phragms for other purposes.

The diaphragm of this invention consists of a chamber formed, preferably, bya ring of circular shape,having a disk secured thereto upon its two sides,and so as to form a chamber within the ring, which is filled with an expansible materiahand so that by the expansion of the material the diaphragms ,will separate accord-Y Ing totheexpansion `or approach each other vaccording to the contraction of the contents of the chamber. Such diaphragms are usually made from metal--that is, a rigid metal ring with thin disks secured to the opposite sides of the ring-#and the chamber lled with some material which will expand under the action of heat, and so as to cause the `disks at the center to separate. The strain of this eX- pansion is sometimes very great, and the two expansible sides being free, the expansion frequently so strains the connection between the two sides and the surrounding wall as to produce a leak. Again, in this class of diav phragms, where there is a constant variation diaphragm with stops or checks'which willy limit the amount of expansion of the disks, v

and so that undue strain cannot be produced upon the disks; andthe invention consists in a diaphragm composed of a rigid wall with elastic or flexible disks yor plates forming the two.V sides 'of the diaphragm, combinedwith caps secured to the wall of the diaphragm and covering the disks, but so as to allow'a limited come to a bearing against the said caps, more fullyhereinafter described. Y

The best form of the diaphragm is of cylindrical'or circular shape, and it is madeA of an unyielding metal ring, A, which` forms the p amount of play of the disks before they will outer wallof the diaphragm.y Upon the np- 'l per side ofthe ring an elastic or flexible disk, a, is applied, preferably of metal, and preferablyv upon the under side a like elastic or flexible metal disk, b,is applied, the twodisks I being `permanently secured totheri'ng and so as to form a tight chamber, which is adapted to'be filled with anysuitable duid or material and as a convenient means for filling thev diaphragm the ring is pierced, as at c. This diaphragm, broadlyT considered, is a common construction. f Y

. To theupper side of the diaphragm lI apply a cap, B, which is in the form of an inverted cup, the sides ofthe cup screw-threaded upon the inner surface, and the outer surface of the ring correspondingly screw-threaded, so that the cap may be screwed to that side of `the ring, and upon the under side a likecap, C, is applied in the same manner." The inner surface of these two caps is made substan#l tially concave, and so as to leave a space'` at the centerv between the inner surfaceoffthe caps and the surface of the disks, as 'clearly indicated in Fig. 2, and so that Vthefexp'ansion of the fluid in the diaphragm will, force` the` disks or sides of the diaphragm outward until they come to a bearing'against the inner surfaces ofthe caps, when further expansion will Ico 8O which will expand under'the action of heat; f

be prevented. Then as the diaphragm cools.

and contracts the sides will return to their normal position and away from contact with the respective caps.

Instead of making the caps concave upon the inner side, they may be made flat, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the disks or sides of the diaphragm made concave, as represented in Fig. 3. In that case the same stop or support is givento the sides of the diaphragm under expansion. n

The caps have a central opening, D, through them, by which a bearing vmay be attained directly upon the diaphragm, to utilize the expansion and contraction thereof.

The application of this diaphragm to a steam-trap is represented in Fig. 1, in which E represents an outer casing, F the lower head, and G the upper head, forming a chamber, in which the diaphragm is set, as there represented. The lower side of the diaphragm rests upon a post, G', which extends through the opening in the lower capof the diaphragm, and so that the lower side of the diaphragm will rest directly upon this post as a support. At the upper side a similar post, H, is arranged through the opening D in the cap upon the upper side of the diaphragm, and so as to rest directly upon that side of the diaphragm. The top G of the trap is provided with an opening, I, by which connection maybe made directly with the steam-pipe, and opens into the trap, so that the contents of the steampipe may pass into the trap. The inner side of this opening forms a valve-seat, J, and to Athe upper post, H, a valve, K, is applied,

which is adapted to set upon the valve-seat J, so as to close the opening, but normally stands distant from the opening, and to an extent within the limits of the expansion of the diaphragm, and so that as the diaphragm expands it will bring the valve to its seat and close that opening, or when the diaphragm is contracted it will open the Valve, as represented in Fig. 1.

The lower end of the trap is provided with one or more holes, through which water may escape, and for convenience of adj ustmentthe lower head is provided with a set-screw, L, by which the diaphragm may be raised or lowered to increase or diminish the extent of opening of the valve.

rlhe diaphragm and caps are constructed of somewhat less diameter than the casing, or so as to leave sufficient space between the casing and the diaphragm for the water to pass below, as seen in Fig. 1.

This trap being applied so that the steampipe may communicate therewith in the usual manner for opening steam-pipes to the trap, steam will pass into the trap through the opening J and cause the diaphragm to expand, and that expansion will immediately close the trap, so as to prevent the further admission of steam; but the trap being exposed to the atmosphere will cool the diaphragm and cause it to contract, open the valve, and permit whatever water may have accumulated in the pipe to flow therein until steam will again enter the trap and cause expansion of the diaphragm to close the valve, the water passing off through the trap to waste.

In some cases a single expansible side of the diaphragm will be suicient for practical purposes--say as seen in Fig. 4. In this case it will be understood that the cap is only applied to the exible side. I therefore wish to be understood as including the cap as applied to one or-both sides of the diaphragm, accordingly as said sides are elastic or flexible, and so as to leave a'limited amount of space between the cap and its adjacent side of the diaphragm, and serve as a stop to limit the extent of movement of that side of the diaphragm.

This general application of the diaphragm to one steam-trap will be sufficient to enable others skilled in the .art to apply it to other traps or to other purposes where a similar diaphragm `is desired.

1. The herein described diaphragm for steam-traps and like purposes, consisting of a rigid wall, with one or both sides composed of elastic or flexible materiahcombined with a cap corresponding to the respective elastic or flexible sides, secured to the rigid wall of the diaphragm, the said caps having an opening through them to the said elastic side or sides of the diaphragm, and the caps constructed to form a recess between their inner surface and the adjacent surface of lthe said sides of the diaphragm, substantially as described, and whereby said caps forln stops to limit the expansion of the said diaphragm.

2. A steam-trap consisting of a chamber, E, closed at its upper and lower ends, a diaphragm within said chamber, composed of a Y rigid wall with elastic or flexible top and bottom, with caps niadeffast to said diaphragm,

and so as to cover the said flexible or elastic valve on the diaphragm is adapted to open or close, substantially as described.

JOSEPH BISHOP.

- lVitnesses:

FRED C. EARLE, LILLIAN D. KELsEY.

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